Preserving Dance Through
Archival Curation
Along with oral histories and panel discussions, CDHP’s collections include an extensive archive of photographs and associated historical materials donated by interview subjects and others in the local dance community. These are most commonly analog material items, which CDHP has digitized for preservation and returned to donors, as CDHP’s archive is entirely digital.
The archive is best described in three categories:
Chicago Dance Photography Archive
CDHP holds two extensive photography collections donated by two photographic artists who have specialized in documenting Chicago performing arts. Jennifer Girard donated over 4000 photographic images produced between 1970 and 2000. Chuck Osgood donated 300 photographic images. Several hundred photographs are held within additional distinct donor-associated collections.
Digitized Dance Collections
Historically significant recordings of dance instruction, rehearsals, performances, etc. are analog items that have been digitized from two distinct sources:
Sixty-one recordings donated for digitization from eight individual sources were digitized externally with funds provided by a grant from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. CDHP received additional grant support – from DCASE and the National Endowment for the Arts – to create an in-house Preservation Station offering digitation services free-of-charge to the local community. When mutually suitable by all parties, newly digitized recordings via the Preservation Station may become part of our collections and migrated to the Newberry's Midwest Dance Collection – along with the initial Digitizing Dance Collections.
Vintage Photographs and Print Media
CDHP holds vast collections of digitized playbills, posters, media clippings, and other ephemera; choreography notes, dance company records, and other dance-related writings. Highlights among the collections include programs representing close to a century of past performances at/by venues, artists, and companies including: Academy of Movement and Music, Auditorium Theatre, The Civic Theatre, The Dance Center at Columbia College, the Dyerettes, Giordano Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Joel Hall Dancers & Center, Links Hall, Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts, MoMing Dance and Arts Center, Mordine and Company, Regal Theater, the Riff Brothers, and Sammy Dyer School of the Theater.
Our Archival Process
All items are being systematically processed toward migration to the Newberry Library. As each new digital collection becomes publicly accessible, they will be highlighted on CDHP's Collections page and permanently discoverable via the Finding Aid.
We are grateful to the following individuals and entities from within the Chicago dance community (listed alphabetically) who have donated items for preservation:
Barbara Atkins Ruhman, Audience Architects, Cristin Carole, Stephanie Clemens, Lou Conte, Pam Crutchfield, Jan Erkert, Patti Eylar, James Dybas, Maureen Janson Heintz, Jennifer Girard, Charles Grass, Joel Hall Dancers & Center, Ben Hodge, Gail Kalver, Maggie Kast, Mary Kay Lackritz, Rika Lin, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Donna Mandel, Lucia Mauro, Nancy G. Moore, Shirley Mordine, Chuck Osgood, Marilyn Ruekberg, Anns Scheetz, Peggy Sutton, Eric Trules, Charlie Vernon, Patti Vickerman, Laura Wade, and Mark Yonally.